Attorney Michele A. Pincus recently brought her expertise in real estate, zoning and land use law to Sahn Ward Coschignano & Baker, a Uniondale law firm.

Joining as a partner, Pincus also concentrates her practice in commercial litigation, employment law and municipal law.

The new post is very different from Pincus’ most recent role. For more than five years, she served as associate general counsel for the Long Island Power Authority. While at LIPA, she provided legal support on municipal real property issues, zoning and land use, and other utility matters. She also provided oversight in litigation and internal employment matters.

“As a public authority, LIPA is subject to considerable regulatory requirements, and I counseled many different departments there,” she said.

The LIPA experience gave Pincus the opportunity to see things from the client’s perspective. Because LIPA also worked with outside counsel, Pincus had the chance to serve as a client for the first time in her law career.

Prior to making the in-house jump, Pincus served as one of LIPA’s outside lawyers. She spent 17 years at the Melville law firm Lazer, Aptheker, Rosella & Yedid, where she was a partner and chair of the zoning and land use practice.

A graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and the National Law Center of George Washington University in Washington, Pincus originally set out to study medicine.

“I spent a semester as a premed student and realized it wasn’t for me,” she said.

She began taking prelaw classes and, during an internship at the Georgia Supreme Court, received confirmation that she had made the right move.

“I worked for a judge that was so passionate about the law that it really inspired me,” she said.